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Monday, March 24, 2014

DIY Drill Press Drum Sanding Station with Dust Collection

Some of my more popular videos and blog posts so far have been of shop projects. That is unfortunate because I do not intend to do a lot of shop project videos. As I have stated in recent posts my woodworking and DIY projects in general are currently centered around meeting needs we have in the house. Granted it would be easier to simply go out and buy some of the projects I have planned. The immediate gratification meter would be a lot higher as well. However, doing something yourself provides a more sustainable sense of satisfaction.

However, that impending sense of recurring satisfaction can feel small and distant when faced with the colossal and daunting task of sanding said project. Sanding is integral on so many levels. Not just to make a project visually appealing but to simply make the pieces fit together. I know, I know, no woodworker likes to admit they use sanding techniques to get their project to simply fit together. The fact of the matter is that sometimes you cut a piece to long here or a dado to shallow there. No one is perfect and as I have stated before, sometimes things happen and you work around them.

One of the more popular techniques I see and have used myself is to pair the jigsaw and spindle sander. Jigsaws are a versatile tool and in my opinion should be one of the first tools a fledgling DIYer should add to their arsenal. However, I also find that many new DIYers also do not fully understand the jigsaw. Its cutting action is both up and down as well as forwards and backwards. The different settings on a jigsaw determine how aggressive that cutting action will be. It also indirectly determines how precise or clean that cut will be.

I am getting a little off topic here so I will save those details for a separate blog post. Just know that jigsaws based on settings, blade used and handler technique all determine how accurate a cut will be. For that reason, many people stay well away from the cut line with the intention of sanding to the line later. This sanding to the line is often done with a spindle or drum sander.

You can purchase a bench top model of an oscillating spindle sander. The cheap ones retail for around $150 and go up from there. However, because DIYers think, build first, buy only as last resort, today's project will be a DIY Drill Press Drum Sanding Station WITH Dust Collection.

Materials:

You know the drill if you have been here before or seen any of my other videos. Shop projects like this will almost always be exclusively made out of scrap lumber. In my case I have the following:

3/4" pine plywood for the bottom of the base and sides

3/4" pine 1x4's that have been glued together to meet the dimensions I needed for the top of the base.
(NOTE: I did not use pine ply for the top because I did not have a piece that was big enough and plywood does not edge glue the same way solid wood does.)

2x6 for the drum portion of the build. Mine was a left over piece of 2x6 from the DIY vertical herb garden planter boxes I did last week.

2 - 9-1/4" x 4" Ply
2 - 8-1/2" x 4" Ply (NOTE: One of these pieces will probably need to be cut in order to fit around your drill press table's main connection with its shaft.)

Base Unit Top

10-1/4" x 11" solid pine

Drum

2" diameter piece of 2x lumber

Final Thoughts:

I tried gluing two 3/4" pieces of ply together for the drum. It never worked as well as the 2x lumber. Voids in the ply, varying moisture content and amount of glue used may all have an impact on how true the drum will spin at any given time. Also I used 120 grit self adhesive sandpaper for the test run seen in the video. I did not cut a groove in the drum for the sandpaper. I just wrapped it around and cut exactly to size. I had no issues with it peeling off or otherwise coming loose.

As always if you have questions or comments you can leave those here. You can also leave a comment on the specific video page or visit the contact page on this site.

Disclaimer:

Woodworking and general DIY projects can be a very satisfying endeavor. Working with wood, whether using power or hand tools or even woodworking supplies, it is up to you to learn and accept proven and proper techniques. I am not responsible for any damages of any kind that may result in your using any product or information mentioned within this blog. It is up to you to research any operating instructions for your tools and operate them safely, even if it means seeking qualified people in demonstrating their safe operation to you.

Keep in mind that whenever you are in your shop make sure safety is most important to your well being. Remember, enjoy your woodworking and general DIY projects but it’s up to you to use your tools safely.

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